Class of '77
October 2006

Greetings to the 30th Anniversary Class of 1977!

It’s another beautiful day on the campus as I sit down to write the first of a number of class letters as we prepare to celebrate the past 30 years. It’s one of those fall days we all remember: the sky is bright blue, the air is cool and dry, and everywhere is the rustle of leaves blowing in the ever-present gusty winds.

We have just finished fall break and the Gusties are back in class. The busy weeks of Nobel Conference, Parents Weekend and Homecoming have come and gone. As I write this, plans are being made for the de-commissioning of the Hollingsworth Football Field and ground has been broken for the new stadium complex. The field will be moved a little north of its current location and will be situated where the baseball field used to be, next to Lund Center, and ready for the 2007 season. It will be great to be a part of the first Homecoming in the new stadium.

It’s been an amazingly quick 30 years since that very hot day in Lund Arena and there will be much to celebrate when we gather next fall at Homecoming. Terri and I will be meeting soon to begin making plans for the reunion. If you are willing to help with the planning or if you have suggestions, please drop me an email and we’ll be back in touch. We want this reunion to be our most successful and have a great number of you returning to the campus for the day.

For now, save the date, Saturday, October 13, 2007.

Thanks to everyone of you who contributed to last year’s alumni fund. We exceeded our goal by nearly $25,000.00 and were able to raise our percentage by 3%. Terri and I thank you all for responding to our challenge and ask you to think of bigger and better ways to help support the College as we enter this reunion year. An “Honor Roll” of donors can be accessed at gustavus.edu/giving/honorroll. Thanks again to all of you who made last year’s fund such a success.

In addition to our reunion, both the Gustavus Choir and the Department of Theatre and Dance are celebrating 75 years this year. There are details online and mailings to both groups as plans are finalized for the celebration. In addition to its anniversary, Theatre and Dance will say goodbye to long-time director Rob Gardner with a two-event celebration. His final direction work at Gustavus will be Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, in February, complete with a cast of 5 current Gusties and 6 theatre alumni professionals including Gail Matthius Wirth ’75, Scott Novotny ’75, and Kevin Kling ’79. Later in the spring, Rob will appear as Prospero in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, for a final farewell appearance on the Anderson Theatre stage.

In other news from the campus, a new scholarship was just announced in the Admission Office. The Gustavus Legacy Award is a $2,500 renewable scholarship to new students who are siblings of current Gusties or those whose parents or grandparents are Gusties. This is a great deal for good students who are already connected to the Gustavus community.

The Athletic Hall of Fame induction was held on September 30. Dan Prochnow class of ’78 was one of the nine new inductees. Congrats, Dan. The OKs celebrated their 100th anniversary in October. I loved the title of their reunion: “100 years of Modesty, Diversity, and Brotherhood.” Okay………..

Check out the new Gustie apparel at the Book Mark: www.bookmark.gustavus.edu/. A recent study of Lutheran colleges placed Gustavus at the top of the list of students and alumni who wear their alma mater’s clothing. It’s easy to see why. The bookstore continues to be a great place to shop for everything Gustie, from clothes to books to recordings.

New from the alumni association is a program to help everyone afford insurance with a group plan called Life for Life. It may sound like a strange offering from the alumni association, but check it out if you feel that you may be under-insured or if you could use a less expensive plan that you now have. You can call at 800/635-7801 or online at www.meyerandassoc.com/ma/gustavus.

In our next letter, we’ll include class news, information on the reunion and the new goals for the new fund year. You all have probably been receiving call after call for donations during the election campaign from your favorite (or perhaps less than favorite) candidate. We’ll give you a few weeks to recover before we get into the new annual fund.